CPSS - Certified Performance and Sport Scientist Key Performance Indicator Identification Questions and Answers

Question 1

A sport scientist is tasked with improving a basketball player's explosive power for game situations.
After a needs analysis, which of the following is the MOST effective process-oriented KPI to track this specific quality?

Accepted Answer

Vertical jump height

Answer

Points scored per game

Answer

Free throw percentage

Answer

Total distance covered during a game

Question 2

When defining a Key Performance Indicator for an athlete's development plan, which characteristic is essential for ensuring it can be reliably tracked over time?

Accepted Answer

Measurability

Answer

Complexity

Answer

Popularity

Answer

Subjectivity

Question 3

For a competitive swimmer, which of the following is an example of an outcome KPI, as opposed to a process KPI?

Accepted Answer

Medal count at the championship

Answer

Stroke rate during a 200m race

Answer

Time taken for a flip turn

Answer

Average heart rate during a maximal set

Question 4

A tactical analyst for a professional soccer team wants to identify a KPI to assess the team's effectiveness at pressing and winning the ball back quickly. Which of the following metrics would be the MOST relevant?

Accepted Answer

Passes Per Defensive Action (PPDA)

Answer

Total number of passes completed

Answer

Percentage of shots on target

Answer

Number of offsides conceded

Question 5

What is the primary purpose of identifying specific KPIs for an athletic program immediately following a comprehensive needs analysis?

Accepted Answer

To align training interventions and feedback directly with the most critical factors for success

Answer

To replace the coach's subjective judgment with purely objective data

Answer

To satisfy the reporting requirements of the team's management and stakeholders

Answer

To create the most complex and data-rich monitoring system possible

Question 6

A performance team for an elite road cyclist has access to a vast amount of data. For a multi-stage grand tour, which of the following would be the LEAST effective KPI for monitoring race-day readiness and performance adaptation?

Accepted Answer

One-repetition maximum (1RM) back squat

Answer

Morning resting heart rate variability (HRV)

Answer

Subjective wellness scores (e.g., fatigue, sleep quality)

Answer

Power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) at lactate threshold